1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to water-based paints and systems for applying such paints, and more particularly to aerosol applicators for a foam-producing composition having a water-based coloring additive.
Painting with watercolors is an activity which has been enjoyed by children, and adults, for many years. Watercolor sets used by children have typically comprised a small metal or plastic case holding a plurality of solid color pellets. The user would first wet a brush and use the wetted brush to dissolve a portion of the color pellet and take up the color onto the brush. Although workable, such water color sets suffered from a number of disadvantages. The sets were inconvenient in that each color had to be individually wetted and dissolved prior to use. Under such circumstances, it was difficult to control the intensity of the color, and frequently the color would be either too concentrated or too diluted. Moreover, the use of such watercolors was very messy, with brushes dripping onto clothing, furniture, carpeting, and many other unintended locations. Another problem resulted from carrying too much water on the brush to the paper. The paper often became saturated, resulting in an excessive drying time or even decomposition of the paper.
It would therefore be desirable to provide alternate watercolor materials and methods which would avoid the above-described problems. In particular, it would be desirable to provide a novel watercolor system which avoids the use of solid color pellets which must be dissolved with water immediately prior to use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,944 to Cartwright discloses a foam concentrate which is used to mark farmland as it is being sprayed with mobile spraying equipment. Foam is generated from the concentrate by a mechanical spray nozzle, and coloring may be added to the concentrate in order to improve its visibility. U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,524 to Goldfarb et al. discloses a toy spray gun which acts as an atomizer in spraying a liquid paint onto a surface, e.g., paper. U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,232 to Donaldson et al. discloses a particular painting substrate which includes an absorbent layer laminated to a non-absorbent layer. Donaldson et al. teach that primary colors may be mixed on this particular substrate.